Star Trek: Federation Legacy
by JasonFredricks
Summary: These are the adventures of Jason Fredricks and crew, aboard the USS Leviathan. Based on the Star Trek Online storyline.
1. Khitomer Crisis

**》SEASON 1 / EPISODE 1 ~ KHITOMER CRISIS《**

_Stardate 83164.0_  
_Earth Date: Jan. 28, 2409_

* * *

A Starfleet vessel is under attack, and red alert sirens are blaring all over the ship. On the bridge, the crew is trying to hold the ship together.

"Ensign, fire photons!" the captain orders.

"Aye, sir," replies Ensign Jason Fredricks, who is manning the tactical console.

There is an explosion. "Sir, shields are failing... structural integrity is at 32%!" the ops officer states frantically.

The captain's face looks grave as he stares at his opponent on the viewscreen. "This is it then," he whispers solemnly to himself.

The enemy vessel, a Klingon Vor'cha battle cruiser, fires another volley of torpedoes.

Fredricks' console explodes in front of him. "Ahh!" he yells in pain, as he falls to the floor.

He suddenly sits up and looks around him, realizing that he was having a nightmare. Everything seems as it should be; nothing is out of place. He gazes out his apartment window at the well-lit city of downtown San Francisco. He breathes deeply. "Calm down, buddy, you're getting too anxious. It's just graduation. Everything's gonna be okay," he reassures himself, as he goes back to sleep.

* * *

The following day, at the Starfleet graduation, a group of cadets are lined up on both sides of the stage. Many people are in the audience, mostly friends and family. Several admirals are sitting behind the podium. One of them walks up to the microphone to speak. "Thank you all for coming today to the Starfleet Academy class of 2408 graduation! First I would like to thank..." she continues speaking inaudibly in the background.

Lucas Wells and Jason Fredricks are sitting with the other cadets, talking. "This is it... you brought your speech, right?" Lucas says to him.

Jason looks over at Lucas. "Of course I did," he says in a smart tone.

Lucas chuckles, "Okay, it better be good."

An admiral walks over to Jason. "Jason, are you ready? You're up."

"Uh, yeah..." Jason says in a slightly nervous tone.

"Knock 'em dead," Lucas tells him.

The female admiral introduces him. "And now, I would like to introduce one of our graduates, Jason Fredricks." The crowd applauds as he walks up to the podium.

He begins to speak. "Thanks everyone, uh, they wanted one of the graduates to come up and speak, and it looks like they picked me..." Several chuckles are heard in the audience. Jason lets out a nervous chuckle as well. "I'd like to thank all of the admirals and Academy staff for putting up with me through these four long years. I hope I can give something back to you all with my service in Starfleet. I also want to thank my parents for always being there for me," Jason pauses to read ahead in his speech. He clears his throat. "I've wanted to go out and explore the stars since I was just a kid, and now my dream is finally coming true. Thank you for helping me achieve my goals and become a good Starfleet Officer." He takes a step back from the podium as the crowd begins to applaud.

"Thank you Mr. Fredricks," the female admiral says to him as he walks off the platform.

He returns to his seat next to Lucas. "So, how bad was it?" he asks.

"Eh, I've heard better," Lucas replies.

The female admiral continues speaking. "It is my pleasure to announce the names of the graduating Class of 2408! Hannah Freeman, Ernie Hauser..." As she calls each name, the graduates walk up to the platform one by one. "...Jeffery Davis, Dylyp Azeli, Lenerea Mendel..." Jason groans at the mention of Lenerea's name.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asks, noting Jason's disgust.

"Nothing," Jason shakes his head. "Just bad memories."

"...Tovak, Tala Jones..."

"There's a cute one..." Lucas says. Jason chuckles and shakes his head.

"...Stan Philips, Charles Oni, Serov, Lucas Wells..."

"Oh, that's me." Lucas walks up to the platform.

"...Sofia Wenner, Daniel Harvey, Jason Fredricks..." Jason walks onto the platform.

"Here you are, son." An admiral hands him his graduation certificate. All of the students face the audience. The crowd applauds.

* * *

At an apartment building in downtown San Francisco, Jason enters his apartment and walks over to a chair to sit down. Suddenly his computer beeps, indicating he has an incoming message. It says it is from Starfleet Headquarters. He presses the button to answer the call. "Hello Jason," Admiral Jorel Quinn greets him.

"Admiral Quinn, how are you?"

"I'm doing well; I hope you are also. I'm calling to tell you that you've been assigned to the USS Leviathan. She's a fine ship, Jason," Quinn smiles.

"So I've heard," Jason replies.

Quinn continues. "You're to report to the Leviathan at 08:00. She's docked at Earth Spacedock."

"Alright, thank you admiral," Jason says.

"Always a pleasure, Jason." The computer beeps and the screen goes black. Jason turns and looks out his window at the stars in the night sky.

**...**

The next day, Jason exits a turbolift and walks over to where some other ensigns are standing. A lieutenant commander is reading a roster when he walks up. "Ernie Hauser?"

"Here," Ernie responds.

"Hannah Freeman?"

"Here."

"Jhael Onika?"

"Here."

"Jason Fredricks?"

"Here," Jason nods at him.

"And... Vance L'eher?"

L'eher nods.

"Alright, you guys will be boarding shuttle 7."

They walk over to the shuttlecraft and board it. The shuttle leaves its docking bay and heads toward a ship docked in the starbase.

"Hi, I'm Hannah," Ensign Hannah Freeman says, directing her attention to Jason.

"Jason Fredricks," he replies.

She smiles, then turns to look out the window of the shuttle. "She's a nice ship," she says, referring to the USS Leviathan, the ship they are to be stationed on.

"I dunno, seems kinda small..." Ernie Hauser comments.

"The Leviathan's a Miranda class cruiser, and was my home for three years. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts," the pilot answers.

The dockmaster's voice is heard over the comm. "Shuttlecraft Zeus, you are clear for docking."

"Acknowledged," the pilot replies. He turns to the cadets. "Alright guys, here we go." He docks the shuttle with the Leviathan.

* * *

_Eight months later..._

The mess hall door opens and Jason walks in. The bartender notices him. "Can I get you something?"

"Yeah, I'll take a Saurian Brandy," Jason replies.

Just then, Lucas walks up to him. "Jason?" Lucas asks, almost in disbelief.

"Lucas... when did you get assigned to the Leviathan?" Jason asks in a puzzled tone.

"A couple days ago, actually. I came aboard when the Leviathan was docked at Earth Spacedock. But anyway, how are ya?" Lucas asks him.

"Pretty good. I've been keeping busy," Jason replies.

"Here you go. One Saurian Brandy," the bartender interrupts to give Jason his drink.

"Thanks," Jason then turns his attention back to Lucas. "Do you know where our next assignment is?"

"Imaga I hear," Lucas says, taking a gulp of his drink.

"Imaga? There's nothing of interest in that system," Jason says, raising an eyebrow. Lucas shrugs.

The captain's voice is heard over the intercom. "Attention crew of the Leviathan, this is Captain Taggart. We've just received word that the Borg have attacked the Vega colony. We've been ordered to assist the fleet there. All hands to battle stations."

**...**

Jason and Lucas walk down a corridor as other officers run by them. "Hey, you two! Where you headed?" a voice calls them from ahead.

"I'm headed for the bridge, sir," Jason answers the officer.

"Alright, come with me," the officer tells them. They come to the end of the corridor and enter a turbolift. "Bridge," the officer tells the computer. The turbolift makes a whirring sound as it begins to move.

"Where'd you get assigned?" Jason asks, turning to Lucas.

"Bridge, same as you."

"Science station?"

"Yep," Lucas replies, nodding.

"Oh, Lucas, this is Commander Fuller, the first officer. Sir, this is my friend Lucas Wells," Jason introduces the two.

Fuller nods at Lucas. "Henry," Fuller says.

"Huh?" Lucas looks puzzled.

"My first name is Henry, but _you_ don't know that," Fuller says, smiling. Jason laughs silently.

The turbolift doors open, and they walk onto the bridge. Captain Taggart turns to greet them. "Oh, Fuller, there you are," Taggart says.

"Captain," Fuller nods.

"This the new science officer?" Taggart asks.

"Yes, Lucas Wells. He graduated with several honors in chemistry and the physical sciences," Fuller comments.

"Hmm, good." Taggart waves Lucas to the science station.

"Sir! We're nearing the Vega System," the conn officer reports.

"Alright," Taggart acknowledges the officer. "Scan the system."

"Aye captain."

"Drop us out of warp," Taggart tells the conn officer.

"Sir, may I ask what we are looking for?" Lucas asks.

Taggart opens his mouth to speak, but Ensign Koja Nara suddenly pipes up. "Sir, I'm receiving a distress call from the USS Khitomer."

"Put it through," Fuller orders.

The message begins playing. "This is the USS Khitomer Emergency Medical Hologram—to any Federation ships who can hear me, we have taken heavy damage and many of the crew are injured. The Borg have boarded the ship, and are installing strange devices onboard. We require assistance..." The message fades into static.

"It's just as we feared. The Borg have been on the verge of attacking us, and they finally carried through," Taggart says gravely.

"We should send an away team over," Fuller says.

"Agreed," Taggart replies. He turns to Lucas and Jason. "You two, report to the transporter room."

"Aye, captain," Jason complies.

"Rescue as many as you can, and salvage the ship, if possible. We will be standing by to transport survivors."

Jason nods, and he and Lucas make for the turbolift.

Fuller turns to an officer. "Notify sickbay to prepare to receive wounded."

**...**

Jason and Lucas enter the transporter room. "So, do we get some security, or is it just you and me?" Lucas asks.

Jason starts to speak but is interrupted by Lt. Commander Mercedes McMary. "The captain told me to get a couple people to go with you," she says, gesturing to some crewmen next to her.

"Does that answer your question?" Jason says smartly.

"Yep. Let's go," Lucas replies impatiently.

The five of them step onto the transporter pad. "I'm transporting you to the location of the EMH. Oh... be careful ensign," she says to Jason.

"We will," Lucas responds in a smart tone. She transports them to the Khitomer.

* * *

As soon as the away team has transported over to the Khitomer, the Emergency Medical Hologram walks over to them. "Oh, there you are. I was beginning to think that no one got my message."

"How can we be of assistance?" Jason asks politely.

"I need one of you to help me with these patients." The EMH motions to the injured crew members who are lying on bio-beds.

"I can help," Ensign Hannah Freeman volunteers herself.

"Please scan one of the patients, ensign." The EMH walks over to another bio-bed as she scans one of the patients.

The ship's internal comm system comes on. "This is Lieutenant Thelis; I could use some help down here in Auxiliary Control!"

Jason walks over to Ensign Freeman. "Hannah, you stay here and help the EMH. The rest of you come with me."

"Aye, sir," she replies.

**...**

The four of them proceed to Auxiliary Control, where Lt. Thelis is. He is working at a console, with several Borg trapped behind a forcefield. "Hey, thanks for coming," Thelis says to them.

"What do you need us to do?" Jason asks.

"I need you to try to restore the computers."

Ernie Hauser begins typing at a console. "That should do it, sir," Ernie says confidently.

"Alright, now, see if you can get a transporter lock on those Borg and transport them into that section behind me," Thelis says.

The section behind him has been destroyed and an emergency forcefield is in place. Jason runs over to a console and begins typing. He looks up at Ernie, smiling, and says, "I got this one."

"Aye, captain," Ernie nods.

"Okay, Morgan, go to that console in there and get ready to rematerialize them." Jason directs Ensign Charlie Morgan to the console in the other section.

"Aye, sir," Morgan replies.

Jason transports the Borg and they rematerialize outside the forcefield and float into space.

Commander Davis' voice comes over the intercom. "To anyone who can hear this, we need assistance in engineering! The Borg are everywhere... please, help us! We are..." The message fades into static.

"Come on, we've gotta get down there," Jason says.

Hannah runs up to them. "Sir! Don't leave without me," she says.

"I wouldn't think of it," Jason replies. "Is the EMH done with you already?"

"Yes. I helped him the best I could, but I'm not a doctor. He said he had things under control."

"Sir, I think the comm system is being jammed. We need to find out what is causing it," Ernie tells them.

"Alright, that will be our first order of business," Jason responds. They proceed down the corridor to a turbolift.

**...**

The turbolift stops, and they exit onto deck two. "Uh, this isn't engineering," Lucas says in a sarcastic tone.

"No, it's not..." Jason trails off. He begins contemplating the situation.

"Sir, I think I've found what was jamming communications," Hannah directs them to the room ahead of them.

Jason and Lucas walk in. Several Borg are installing large devices on the walls. Ernie scans one with his tricorder. "Is it safe to blast them?" Jason asks.

"Yeah," Ernie responds.

"Morgan," Jason motions Charlie to shoot some of the devices.

Jason, Ernie and Charlie draw their phasers and shoot several devices. Some Borg begin walking toward them. "Come on, we've got to get through this corridor," Jason tells them.

They continue shooting Borg as they walk swiftly to the other end of the corridor. "Funny, I wonder why they're not adapting to our weapons?" Lucas asks.

"Good question," Jason replies.

They come to the end of the next corridor to another turbolift. "This one appears to be working sir," Charlie tells Jason.

"Good," Jason answers, entering the turbolift. The rest of the away team follows suit.

* * *

They exit the turbolift onto deck three. "Engineering should be this way, sir," Ernie motions down the corridor.

"Lead the way," Jason responds.

They shoot down several Borg along the way until they reach engineering. As soon as they enter, Commander Davis motions for them to come to him. "Hey, over here!" he yells.

A couple Borg are between them and Davis. "Resistance is futile," one of the Borg says, in a robotic, monotone voice.

"Eat phaser you mechanical scumbag!" Lucas yells.

Seeing several more Drones burst into the room, Lucas stumbles backward. Jason and Ernie shoot down several of the Borg. Hannah and Charlie run ahead of them and shoot several more.

They come to where Davis is standing. "The Borg have invaded several decks, but we're putting up a fight," he says. "Thanks for the help. We can take it from here.". The officers that are with Davis kill the remaining Borg.

Davis's combadge chirps. "Commander, we have subdued the remaining Borg forces onboard," an officer says over the intercom.

"Acknowledged," Davis replies. He turns to Jason. "The situation is under control. You should get back to your ship."

"Which way to the transporter room?" Jason asks him.

"It's through there," Davis answers as he points to a corridor across the room.

"Thanks," Jason calls to them as they walk away. Davis nods to him and then begins giving orders to the other officers with him.

**...**

The away team walks down the corridor and enters the transporter room. "Chief, can you transport us back to the Leviathan?" Jason inquires of the transporter chief.

"Of course," Chief Pim Dalel answers him. The away team steps onto the transporter pad.

"Oh, ensign... Commander Davis wanted me to send an officer over to your ship with you," Dalel says as if suddenly remembering something important.

"Alright..." Jason answers in a puzzled tone.

Dalel motions to a female Andorian next to him. "This is Tala," Dalel says. Jason nods at her. Dalel continues, "We heard that the Leviathan was under attack, and you might need an extra crewman to assist you if she's been boarded."

Tala steps onto the transporter with them. "Energize," Jason says. Dalel transports them back to the Leviathan.

* * *

As soon as they rematerialize on the Leviathan's transporter pad, the transporter chief is there to meet them. "Ensign Fredricks, you'd better get to the bridge. I heard they're having some trouble up there," he says to them.

Jason turns to Lucas and gives a worried look. They run to the turbolift at the end of the corridor.

Jason, Tala and Lucas exit the turbolift onto the bridge. Tala gasps at the sight of the dead crewmen all over the bridge. Jason runs over to the captain's chair.

"The captain?" Lucas asks anxiously. Jason shakes his head, indicating that Captain Taggart is dead.

Tala walks over to a console and begins reading off the damage list. "Warp drive is offline, weapons systems disabled, shields are down and we're running on emergency backup power."

Jason sits in the captain's chair, a shocked look on his face, the captain lying on the floor in front of him. "Casualties?" he asks her.

Tala reads the casualty list. "Including those on the bridge, at least 30. Sir, it looks as if most of those killed were senior officers. You appear to be the highest ranking surviving officer."

Jason stares out into space for a moment.

"So does that mean he's the captain now?" Lucas asks.

The turbolift door opens and Ernie Hauser and Hannah Freeman enter the bridge.

Hannah looks around sadly at all of the dead crewman. "Oh my God," she gasps, putting her hand over her mouth. Ernie hangs his head.

"Put the Borg ships on screen," Jason orders.

"Aye, sir," Tala replies.

An image of the surrounding space suddenly appears on the main viewscreen. Several Borg ships fly around in the distance, exchanging fire with some Starfleet ships. Jason's face turns from a sad look to an angry one. He stands up and Tala and Lucas look up at him. Jason turns to face them and says, "This isn't over." The Leviathan is in space, dead in the water; the Borg vessels and the Starfleet vessels are firing upon one another.

_To be continued..._

* * *

**A/N: So, what do you think? Will Ensign Fredricks and crew be able to save the Vega Colony from the Borg? Will Fredricks gain command of the Leviathan? Find out in "Episode 2: The Price of Liberty". Please review!**


	2. The Price of Liberty

**》SEASON 1 / EPISODE 2 ~ THE PRICE OF LIBERTY《**

_Stardate 83165.2_  
_Earth Date: Jan. 28, 2409_

* * *

_"Acting captain's log, stardate 83165.2. Captain Taggart and all senior officers of the USS Leviathan have been killed and I have assumed command. Our objective—stop the Borg from accomplishing what they set out to do in the Vega System. We can only hope that our mission will be successful."_

Repairs are ongoing on the Leviathan. Jason is on the bridge, sitting in the captain's chair. He turns to Tala. "How long until we can have shields and weapons?"

"A few more minutes, sir," she replies.

"Jason, we're being hailed by the USS Seacole," Lucas says, turning to meet Jason's gaze.

"On-screen."

The viewscreen comes to life and Captain Alcott is seen on the bridge of her ship. "Where is Captain Taggart?" she inquires.

Jason lowers his head in sorrow. "He's... dead..."

Captain Alcott sighs. "That is regrettable, he will be missed. However, this is not the time to conduct a memorial service. I have need of your assistance... ensign."

"How can we help?" Jason asks.

"Several of our ships in the area have been badly damaged, and I need you to transport survivors to your ship, then bring them here."

"Understood," Jason replies.

"Goodbye, and good luck, ensign."

* * *

Jason is handed a damage report by a crewman. "Here is the report you asked for, sir. Most of the damage has been repaired, however, several systems are still offline."

"Thank you," Jason replies, taking the report. He turns his attention to Tala. "Can we go to impulse?"

"I believe so sir."

"Good, do a scan of the system, and take us to one half-impulse." The ship groans as it accelerates.

"Scan complete, sir," Hannah reports.

"How many ships are there?" Jason inquires.

"Four, sir," she replies. "The Kelvin, the Oakland, the Bohr, and the Montreal."

They reach the first ship, the USS Kelvin. "Beam the survivors aboard."

Ernie initiates a transport from his console. "We have them sir," he says.

"Moving position to the next ship, sir," Hannah tells him.

"Activate transport," he says.

They transport the survivors and go to the next ship. "Transporting survivors of USS Bohr."

They head for the final ship, the USS Montreal. Ernie begins the transport but suddenly a conduit blows in the wall of the bridge. Jason spins around in his chair. "What happened?" he inquires of Ernie.

"The transporters use a lot of energy, sir. It looks like that last transport really did a number on the ship's subsystems." Jason smacks his armrest. "If I reroute auxiliary power to the transporters, we should be able to beam the remaining survivors off the Montreal," Ernie tells him.

"Do it," Jason responds.

Ernie reroutes the power and initiates the transport. "We have them sir," Hannah smiles.

"Good. Tala, take us back to the Seacole's position."

"Aye, sir," she replies. They return to the Seacole and transport the survivors onto the ship.

"Thank you Jason, we couldn't have done that without you," Captain Alcott smiles as the channel closes.

The comm channel chirps to life. "Captain, we're being hailed by another ship, the USS Renown."

"Put it on-screen."

Captain Vo'Lok appears on the view screen. "You are not Captain Taggart," he says, puzzled at why this young ensign is sitting in the captain's chair.

"No, I'm not," Jason replies.

"I see," Vo'Lok raises an eyebrow. "Then I presume he is dead, and you have assumed command?"

"Yes, sir," Jason answers. "We're reading that your ship has been disabled, is that correct?"

"Yes," replies Vo'Lok.

"We can offer you assistance if you need..."

Vo'Lok interrupts Jason before he has a chance to finish his sentence. "No, our ship will not be ready for combat any time soon. But we may be able to help you repair your damaged shields and weapons."

"Thank you, captain," Jason replies as the channel closes.

* * *

_"Acting captain's log: supplemental. The USS Renown has sent away teams to help us repair the damage on the Leviathan. Captain Vo'Lok also sent me orders regarding the Borg in the area."_

Jason exits the ready room and walks onto the bridge. "Repairs are done... sir," Lucas tells him. Jason nods at him.

"What are our orders, captain?" Tala inquires.

"Captain Vo'Lok tells me there are several damaged probes in the area. We have to destroy them before they can regenerate."

"Aye, I'm detecting at least five signatures nearby," Hannah tells them.

"Let's get to work," Jason says. The ship accelerates to impulse and goes into a debris field. Three probes are directly ahead of the Leviathan. "Lock phasers, standby on photons."

"Aye," Tala responds. She targets the first probe.

"Fire!" Jason orders. The phaser banks glow orange as the beams shoot out into space at the probe. It explodes in a flash of light.

"Whoa..." Lucas says, a bit surprised at the relatively large explosion.

"Looks like they've taken more damage than we thought," Jason says. "Lock weapons on the next probe and fire."

The photon torpedo tube lights up as a torpedo shoots out of it at high-speed toward the second probe. It explodes in a brilliant display of smoke and light. They fire upon the last three probes and they all explode like the first two. "Well that's not much of a challenge, is it?" Lucas says.

Jason nods his head. "Sir, long-range sensors are back online," Hannah reports to him.

"Captain, I'm picking up more Borg signals near Vega IX..."

"Set course to intercept," Jason orders.

"Aye sir," Ernie responds.

**...**

The ship drops out of impulse and into orbit of Vega IX. "All stop," Jason says, signaling the helmsman.

"Answering all stop sir," Ernie replies.

"How many Borg ships in the area?"

"Six, possibly more," Hannah answers.

"Coordinate our attack with the other Starfleet vessels in the area."

"Aye... captain," she responds.

Lucas chuckles. "Captain, heh, I never thought I'd hear anyone call you that."

"Oh stop," Jason says sarcastically. "You never seem to find anything good to say do you?"

Tala smiles and Hannah giggles. "I assume you two know each other pretty well?" Ernie turns and looks at them.

"Who, him? I don't know him," Lucas says, turning back to his station.

"Alright, enough. Let's focus on the mission at hand," Jason's face suddenly turns serious. "Tala, you got a weapons lock on the Borg yet?"

"Yes, sir. The first two ships are in range."

"Fire torpedoes."

The Leviathan spews a volley of torpedoes at the Borg ships. "Minimal damage to the ships, sir."

"Captain, might I suggest using phasers to take down the shields, and saving the torpedoes for the hulls?" Ernie inquires of Jason.

"He's right sir, phasers work better against shields than torpedoes," Tala adds. Jason nods. After a few shots with the phasers banks, the Borg's shields drop.

"Fire torpedoes, full volley!" Jason orders. The ships explode, leaving a vibrant yellow-orange glow behind.

"The other Federation ships are signaling that they have things under control now, sir. We can send an away team down to the planet when you're ready," Hannah says.

"Alright. Tala, Ernie, you're with me," Jason says, as he stands up and heads for the turbolift.

"Sir, may I remind you of the Starfleet regulation which states that when an away team is sent into a dangerous environment, the captain..." Tala begins, only to be interrupted by Jason.

"Your concern is noted, Tala, but I'm not a captain. I'm an ensign; and I'm going down there. They need our help, come on." The three of them enter the turbolift.

* * *

The away team materializes on the planet. Commander Kelly is waiting for them when they arrive. "Thanks for the assistance, ensign. We've got a situation here," Kelly tells them. "The Borg are rounding up colonists, but they're not assimilating them. This is curious behavior from the Borg, but we have no way of knowing what they might do next. I need you to get past their lines and rescue as many colonists as you can."

"We'll do what we can, sir," Jason replies.

"Oh, ensign, take these phaser rifles. They do more damage than standard phasers," Kelly has one of his officers give Jason and the away team phaser rifles.

Ensign Byarnez also gives Jason a kit equipped with photon grenades. "Be careful with those," she warns Jason. "They are small, but powerful."

"Thanks," he replies.

The away team heads for the middle of the colony where several colonists are being prepared for assimilation. They kneel behind a bench to get a glimpse of the Borg from a distance. One of the Borg notices them and begins walking in their direction. "Alright, so here's what we're gonna do..." Jason begins, but is interrupted by Tala.

"Sir, watch out!"

Jason turns to find the drone less than two feet from him, and jumps backward. Ernie quickly shoots it with his phaser. "Thanks," Jason says to Ernie, while still in a bit of shock at what just happened. Jason clears his throat and continues. "Tala, you go around the left and draw their fire, while I go around the right. Ernie, once the area is clear, get the colonists back to the base. We clear?"

"Aye, sir," Tala and Ernie answer almost simultaneously. Tala shoots two Borg down in her path, while making for where the colonists are being held. Jason flanks the right side and shoots three Borg near him. Ernie follows, while watching their backs. Jason runs and jumps at a Borg, knocking it onto the ground, then shooting it in the head.

Jason and Tala continue shooting Borg as more and more close in on them. "Ernie, get them out of here now!" Jason yells. Ernie urges the colonists out of the town, and to the base. Jason and Tala follow them, taking down any Borg that might pose a threat to the colonists' safety.

When they get back to the base, Commander Kelly walks up to them. "Ensign, I think I know what the Borg are planning. We've detected several communications arrays that they are building on the other end of the colony. You've got to take them out; they are calling for reinforcements!"

"Come on guys, it's time to finish this," Jason says, addressing Tala and Ernie.

"Right behind you, sir," Ernie replies.

* * *

On the Leviathan, Lucas is in command. A console beeps. "Sir, detecting Borg vessels on approach," Hannah says.

"Raise shields, red alert," Lucas responds.

One of the probes fires upon the Leviathan. The ship shakes on impact. "Shields are holding, sir," Hannah reports.

"Return fire!" Lucas shouts. The Leviathan returns a volley of fire at the Borg ships.

"Minimal damage to the probes, sir," Hannah says, looking disappointed.

"Blast!" Lucas hits his armrest. "Continue firing."

"Shields down to 68%!"

Lucas gets an idea. "Prepare to eject warp plasma from the nacelles."

"Sir?" the tactical officer questions.

"You heard me, ensign."

"Aye, sir." The tactical officer presses several buttons. "Ready."

"Eject plasma!"

The Leviathan's nacelles begin to eject green warp plasma, shielding them from their enemies' view. "Fire at will!" Lucas shouts.

The Leviathan opens fire once again, this time badly damaging two of the probes and destroying three of them. "We did it sir," Hannah says, smiling.

"Not bad for my first command," Lucas gloats.

Hannah rolls her eyes at him and laughs.

**...**

Back on Vega, the away team heads for the other side of the colony. "There, sir. Look!" Tala points at a fortified structure several hundred yards ahead of them. They begin running towards it.

"This is a sniper rifle, isn't it?" Jason asks.

Tala examines his rifle. "Well, it has a scope..."

Jason switches the rifle to sniper mode, and aims at a tactical drone standing next to a control panel. He shoots it down, but not without attracting the attention of several more Borg. "We've got to get that force field down," Jason tells them.

"Don't worry sir, we'll take care of the other Borg while you disable it," Tala replies.

"Alright, let's go." Tala and Ernie shoot down several Borg with their rifles as Jason makes his way for the control panel. Suddenly, a Borg turret shoots in his direction. "Whoa," Jason yells, as the blast barely misses him.

Ernie turns to look as another turret shoots at him. "Watch out!" he calls to Tala. She ducks to miss the fire of the turret. Jason shoots the first one down and then runs to the control panel. Ernie manages to shoot the second turret while dodging another round of fire from it.

Jason types frantically at the console as more Borg approach from the south. "Jason, hurry," Tala says in a worried tone. "I don't know how much longer we can hold them off."

"Okay, give me a second..." Jason continues working on the console as Ernie swings around behind him to take out some more Borg. The console beeps and the force field lowers. "I did it! It's down." Jason walks over to another console that was behind the force field. He tries to access it, but a heavy tactical drone that was in an alcove activates.

"Uh, sir..." Ernie's voice trails off.

Jason picks up his phaser rifle. Tala spins around and shoots the Borg, but her shot barely even affects it. "This one's shielded, sir!" she yells.

Jason remembers the grenade satchel kit that Ensign Byarnez gave him and replicates a grenade. "Watch out!" he calls to them. Ernie jumps out of the way as Jason throws the grenade at the Borg.

It explodes in a red glow, but the Borg remains standing. "Damn!" Jason shouts, seeing that the Borg is still alive. Ernie shoots at the Borg and its arm sparks, revealing that the grenade did more damage than they thought it did. Tala, realizing this, opens fire at the Borg, and Jason follows suit. The drone collapses in a heap in front of them. "That outta do it," Jason says with a half grin. He walks back over to the console, and begins typing. "If I send a feedback pulse through the system, it should destabilize the whole network," Jason tells them.

"That would certainly save us from having to deactivate each array manually," Ernie responds.

"Let's give it a try." Jason continues typing. "That should do it. I suggest we clear out though, this console's likely to explode." They run away from the Borg array as the console overloads, exploding with a bright flash. "Haha, we did it!" Jason cheers. Tala and Ernie smile.

Jason's combadge chirps. "Ensign, can you hear me?" It is Commander Kelly on the other side.

"Yes, commander, go ahead," Jason replies.

"You did it, we now have contact with Starfleet Command. I suggest you return to your ship now. Thank you very much for your assistance, Kelly out."

Jason taps his combadge. "Fredricks to Leviathan, three to beam up." They begin to dematerialize.

* * *

Back on the ship, Lucas is staring out the view screen. He lets out a big sigh. "What's keeping them?" he says impatiently. Just then, the turbolift door opens, and Jason, Tala and Ernie walk onto the bridge. "Oh, there you are. I was starting to wor... I mean, I was about to give Commander Kelly a call—see what was keeping you guys," Lucas says to Jason.

"Good to see you missed me, Lucas," Jason chuckles.

"Well, I hope you didn't have too much fun without me. What did you guys do, buy a summer cottage?" Lucas says sarcastically. Jason puts his face in his palm. Hannah lets out a soft laugh.

"Is he always this..." Tala begins.

"Yes," Jason interrupts her sentence. Lucas narrows his eyes at Jason, to which Jason gives him a look such as to tell him to get out of his chair. Lucas stands up and walks over to the science station.

"Sir, we're being hailed by Admiral Quinn," Hannah says.

"On-screen."

Admiral Quinn appears on the main viewscreen. "Captain... oh, Jason. Where is Captain Taggart?" Quinn asks with a bemused look on his face.

"He was killed by the Borg, sir," Jason tells him.

"I see. He was a fine officer, and will be missed. But that is not the matter at hand right now. Our fleet is moving into an offensive position to push the remaining Borg ships out of the area. We need the Leviathan to join the fleet."

"Understood sir," Jason replies.

"Good luck, Jason," Admiral Quinn says as the channel closes.

"Set course to meet up with the fleet," Jason orders.

"Aye, captain," Ernie replies.

**...**

The Leviathan enters the Vega System. "There are several Borg cubes still in the system," Lucas reports.

"Helm, move us in range of the nearest cube," Jason orders.

Ernie acknowledges and engages the impulse engines. "Range?" Jason asks.

"Fifteen kilometers and closing," Lucas replies.

"Ready weapons."

"Twelve kilometers."

"Weapons locked on target, sir," Tala says.

"Ten kilometers."

"Fire!" Jason says, standing up as he gives the order. The phaser banks glow orange as the beams shoot at the cube.

The other Federation ships also open fire on the cube. "Coordinate our attack with the other vessels," Jason says.

"Adjusting attack trajectory with the other ships, sir," Tala replies.

Several volleys of torpedoes are launched at the cube. "Status of the cube?"

"It's hull is at 87%."

"Continue attack vector."

"Aye, captain," Tala responds.

The cube begins to show signs of damage, as multiple explosions can be seen within it. "Cube's hull is at 34%!"

The cube manages to destroy two of the Starfleet ships before it is finally vanquished. It explodes in a large display of light. The shockwave of the explosion can be felt on the Leviathan. Lucas lets out a happy shout. Tala and Hannah both have large grins on their faces. Jason breathes a sigh of relief.

"Sir, we're being hailed by Admiral Quinn again," Hannah reports.

"Put him on-screen," Jason replies.

Admiral Quinn once again is seen on the viewscreen. "Well done, Leviathan. The remaining Borg forces are retreating to their own space. Please report to Earth Spacedock so you can be debriefed for your next mission. Quinn out." The channel closes.

"Helm, set course for Sol System, warp five."

"Aye, captain. Course plotted."

"Engage." The Leviathan enters warp.

* * *

The Leviathan drops out of warp in the Sol System. Several ships are being brought into drydock for repairs, the Khitomer being one of them. "Sir, we are getting a hail from the USS Khitomer..."

"On-screen." Jason has a puzzled look on his face as the Khitomer's EMH appears on the screen.

"I heard about what happened on Vega. Well done, ensign," the EMH says to him.

"Thank you," Jason replies.

"With time and training, you will make a good commander. I hope that you will look back on this day and see me as a mentor, or possibly even a father figure. Good luck, ensign. Khitomer out." Tala tries to restrain herself from bursting out laughing after hearing the EMH's comment about being a father figure to Jason.

As soon as the channel closes, Lucas lets out a laugh. "I'm sorry, that's just... priceless," he says.

"Oh, shut it," Jason retorts. The Leviathan moves closer to the Spacedock. The dockmaster contacts them and clears them for docking.

**...**

Once on board, Jason heads for Admiral Quinn's office. "The Admiral's office is that way," an officer points down the corridor. Jason enters Quinn's office.

"Please, sit down, Jason." Admiral Quinn motions for Jason to take a seat. Quinn pauses before continuing. "How would you like to be in command of your own ship?"

Jason looks surprised at this proposition. "I-I don't know... I mean, I'm only an ensign."

"Starfleet has authorized me to promote you to lieutenant immediately. And, if you are willing, they have agreed to give you command of the Leviathan."

"Wow, that's certainly a very tempting offer, sir," Jason ponders what Quinn has said.

"Jason, what you showed today is that you are more than capable of handling yourself out there. You obviously have a knack for command, and if you ask me, it would be foolish to turn this down." Jason nods. "I wouldn't have recommended you for this command had I thought you weren't ready." Jason looks up at him as he continues to speak. "So, what do you say?"

Jason grins, staring out into space.

**...**

Jason exits the turbolift and onto the bridge of the Leviathan. "Captain on the bridge!" Hannah shouts.

All of the bridge officers stand at attention. "At ease," he replies. He walks over to the captain's chair and sits down.

"So, where to now... captain?" Lucas inquires.

"I don't know. Let's see what's out there." Jason rests his chin on his hand as Ernie plots a destination on the helm. The Leviathan warps out of the system.

* * *

**A/N: Do you think Jason will make a good captain? Being in command will certainly not come without consequences, as you will see in "Episode 3: Stranded In Space". Please review!**


	3. Stranded In Space

**》SEASON 1 / EPISODE 3 ~ STRANDED IN SPACE《**

_Stardate 83176.9_  
_Earth Date: Feb. 2, 2409_

* * *

_"Captain's log, stardate 83176.9. We are en route to Starbase 24 to pick up supplies and personnel for our endeavors. Also, the war with the Klingons drags on, and at this point, I'm unsure that either side will come out victorious."_

Jason closes his personal log as he takes a sip of his coffee. He makes a face at the cup and looks over at his yeoman. "What's wrong, sir?" she asks.

"It doesn't taste right. Have someone check the replicators."

"Aye, captain." She walks into the turbolift.

Jason leans back and sighs. "Helm, how long until we reach Starbase 24?"

"About thirty minutes, captain."

"Good. Keep me informed, ensign."

Suddenly the tactical console starts beeping. "Sir, we're getting a distress call from a civilian transport ship. It's the SS Azura," Tala reports. "Audio only."

"Put it on speakers," Jason replies. The speakers shoot out static. "Lucas, can you clear that up a bit?"

"I'll try," Lucas says, trying to clear up the bad reception.

The static begins to fade. "Th-s is Cap-ai- Brott of t- Bolian freig-ter Az-ra... we are under att-ck ... Orion pirates..." Jason strains to hear the message as it begins to fade into static again. "...need help!"

"We've lost them sir," Tala tells him.

"Hannah, what is their current location?"

"A little less than a light year from here, sir," she replies.

"Helm, warp five. Engage."

"Warp five, sir. Engaging," Ernie replies.

* * *

The Leviathan drops out of warp in an asteroid field. "The Azura has sustained heavy damage to her primary hull, sir," Hannah reports.

"How many Orion ships?"

"Six, captain."

"Charge phaser banks. Load torpedo bays," Jason orders as he gazes out the viewscreen.

"Aye," Tala answers. "Almost in firing range."

"Distance?"

"Thirteen kilometers and closing. Twelve, eleven, ten. We're in range, captain."

"Fire!" Jason stands up as he gives the order.

The phaser banks glow orange as they send a pulse at the nearest Orion vessel. "Direct hit, its shields are down to 82%."

"Fire photons." The torpedo tube lights up as three torpedoes burst out and fly toward the nearby enemy vessels. The Orions return fire. The other three ships continue attacking the Azura. "Target their weapons and shields," Jason tells Tala. They fire upon the three Orion ships.

One of them explodes. "One down..." Lucas sighs.

The Leviathan takes a direct hit and there is a small explosion on the bridge. "Initiate attack pattern alpha!" Jason shouts.

"Aye, captain!"

A fire erupts on the bridge. "Somebody put that out!" he says, keeping his gaze on the viewscreen. A crewman grabs a fire extinguisher from the wall. He uses it on the fire and it dies down.

"Captain, shields are down to 64%!" Tala tells him.

"Sir... the other Orions are breaking off from the Azura and are headed for our direction." Hannah says nervously.

Something on the viewscreen catches Jason's eye. "Helm, take us into that large asteroid over there."

"Yes, sir," Ernie replies.

"Captain, that asteroid is emitting a large electromagnetic field. It may disrupt our shields. W-we can't go in there," Lucas protests.

"Understood," Jason replies calmly.

The Leviathan flies into a hole in the large nearby asteroid. "The Orions are pursuing," Hannah says in a worried tone.

"Good," Jason responds confidently.

Tala looks over at him. "What are you planning?" she asks, looking suspiciously into his eyes.

"You'll see," he replies with a smile. "Ernie, bring us around the other side of the asteroid and cut the engines."

"Sir?" Ernie questions.

"Just do it. Trust me."

"Aye, captain."

The ship rocks mildly as they enter the asteroid's magnetic field. "Shields are down to 44% and dropping, sir," Lucas says in a melancholy tone.

"Keep her steady, helm. Bring us around." The Leviathan exits the asteroid and hides behind the right side of it. The Orions fly by the Leviathan and begin a sensor sweep of the area. "Fire!" Jason orders. The Leviathan spews out a volley of torpedoes. Two of the ships explode, taking out a third one with them. "That leaves just two more," Jason says, grinning.

"The Orions have powered down weapons, sir. What should we do?" Tala asks. Jason is about to speak when the two remaining ships go into warp.

"Next time they'll think twice before messing with us," Lucas smiles.

"Helm, take us within transporter range of the Azura."

"Aye, captain."

Jason turns to Lucas. "Lucas, come with me. We're going over there."

"Oh, so now you want me to come on away missions with you..." Lucas says smartly.

"When did I ever say you couldn't come?" Jason replies.

"In range, sir," Ernie says, turning to face the captain.

"Alright. Lucas, come on."

Tala turns to face Jason as he is walking to the turbolift. "Sir, if you are going down there, you may need a security officer... I could..."

Jason interrupts her. "No, Tala, I need you here, in case any more Orions show up. We'll be okay." He smiles and enters the turbolift, Lucas right behind him. They stand in the turbolift, as the door closes in front of them. "Deck four," Jason tells the computer. The turbolift begins whirring.

"It's a good thing those ships were only frigates, or we'd be dead now," Lucas states plainly. Jason nods at him. "So, how'd you know that was going to work?"

"I didn't. I just trusted my instincts."

"Uh-huh. And if your instincts had gotten us killed?"

"Well, we wouldn't be standing here arguing about the possibility, now would we?" Jason smirks at Lucas.

"Hmph," Lucas says, showing his dissatisfaction.

* * *

They enter the transporter room, where a small security team is already waiting for them. Jason and Lucas step onto the transport pad along with their away team. "Energize," Jason tells the transporter chief. They disappear in a blue glow. On the Azura transporter pad, they rematerialize.

One of the ensigns scans the environment with his tricorder. "I'm detecting several plasma leaks, captain."

"We'll need to shut them down before we get to engineering."

They proceed down the corridor in the direction of engineering. "Sure is dark in here," Lucas complains. Jason stops suddenly, Lucas nearly running into him. "What?" Lucas says almost in a shout.

"Shh! Do you hear that?" Jason asks, putting his finger to his lip. Everyone stands quietly still for a moment. Talking can be heard up ahead. Jason begins to edge toward the corner of the corridor. He turns his head around the bend.

Lucas and Ensign Vance L'eher inch up behind him. "What is it?" L'eher asks impatiently.

Jason brings his head around to face them. "Orions," he says, grimacing.

"We can take 'em," another ensign whispers loudly. Jason takes another peek around the bend.

"...alright, here's the plan. When the Starfleet scum comes around the corner, we shoot 'em up real good," one of the Orions says to another.

"Heh, Starfleet's so predictable," another one cackles.

Jason presses his head back up against the wall. "Looks like they're expecting us," he says.

"I've got an idea," L'eher says, volunteering his services. Jason turns his head to listen to Vance's idea.

**...**

Meanwhile, on the Leviathan, main power has failed, and the darkness begins creeping in. "Computer, emergency lights!" Tala shouts. The bridge lights up slightly. "What happened?" she asks Hannah.

"Looks like there was a power surge in the transporter's pattern buffer that ruptured several EPS conduits," she replies.

"Can we bring main power back online?"

"Not until those conduits are repaired, sir," Ernie answers.

"Then get repair crews on it right away."

"Aye, sir." Ernie exits the bridge.

Tala turns back to Hannah. "Just how badly are we hurt?" she asks her.

"Weapons systems are offline, shields are down, and long range sensors are inoperative."

"Can we contact the away team?"

"I think so, but we can't beam them back," Hannah's face turns to a worried look as she faces Tala. Tala sighs.

* * *

"Hurry up, Vance, I think they're coming this way!" Jason says in a loud whisper.

"Okay. I have a couple smoke grenades here, we could use one to sneak up on the Orions and take them down," L'eher replies.

"Do it."

TL'eher throws a smoke grenade near a group of Orions. "W-what was that?" one of the Orions says, startled as it lands next to him.

"Grenade!" another one shouts. They jump away from it as it explodes into a cloud of smoke.

"Heh. Nice job, ensign," Jason chuckles. The away team runs toward the coughing Orions and use the element of surprise to stun them with their phasers. They come to one of the plasma leaks. "Hold up, that's superheated plasma. It will sear the flesh off your bones. We have to find a way to shut off the flow," Jason says.

"Sir, in here," one of the officers points to a nearby room. They enter the room, searching for something that will help them shut off the plasma leak.

"Captain!" one of the officers shouts, as she runs over to a person lying on the floor in the room.

"Please... don't hurt me!" the person cries.

"Don't worry, we're friends," Jason replies.

One of the away team members is a medic and she pulls out her tricorder to scan the injured crewman. "He's got some bruised ribs captain, he'll be alright though." Jason nods at her.

"Sir, I think I've found a way to shut off the plasma leaks," the engineering officer, Jhael Onika, reports. "This console controls several systems on this deck. If I reroute this here... ah, there we go. Should be clear now, sir."

"Good. Nurse, can we leave the crewman here for now and come back for him later?"

"Yes, captain, he is stable."

The away team proceeds down the main corridor. More Orions are up ahead, facing away from the away team. Jason motions for Ensign L'eher to follow him, and they sneak up behind the two Orions. They knock them unconscious with the butts of their phasers. "Come on," Jason says, motioning the rest of the away team onward.

They come to another leak. "Another room, sir," L'eher reports. There are Orions in this room.

"What do you want with us?" an Azura crewman shouts in horror.

"Quiet, you," an Orion tells her. "Or would you like me to shoot a laser through your brain?" An evil grin rests upon his face. She covers her face and whimpers.

"Hey, leave her alone," Jason tells him, walking into the room suddenly.

"Ah, Starfleeters, should've known. Well, you're too late. We've already got control of engineering, and the captain is our prisoner."

"You didn't think I'd come alone did you?" Jason grins. Ensign L'eher appears outside the door and quickly takes out the Orion pointing his gun at the crewman. Jason pulls out his phaser and takes out another. The rest of the away team rushes in and stuns the rest of the Orions. "Good work, team," Jason says. He then motions one of them to use the control panel at the other end of the room to seal the plasma leak.

"Sealed, sir," the officer replies.

"Are you alright?" Jason asks the Azura crewman.

"I-I think so."

He helps her to her feet. "There is another crewman in the room just down the corridor, that way," Jason says, pointing back the way they came.

"Alright, I'll take him to the transporter room."

The away team continues down the corridor, where a third plasma leak is. This time there is no room, but there is a console on the wall. Some Orions are messing around with the controls when they notice the away team approaching. "Stay back, Starfleet!" one of them yells.

"Looks like you're trapped," Jason says smartly.

"We're not afraid of you!" another Orion says worriedly.

One of them is still working at the console, trying to shut off the plasma leak. "Get that leak fixed!" the first Orion snaps.

"Federation technology is much different from ours, sir," the one at the console says.

"Here, let me help you with that," Jason volunteers, using the lead Orion's distractedness to his advantage. He hits the Orion in the jaw with his fist, sending him flying back onto the floor. The rest of the away team follows suit, taking down the rest of the Orions. "Alright, Lucas, see what you can do."

"This one's damaged pretty badly, Jason. No wonder the Orions couldn't get it to work."

"We've gotta get to engineering."

"I know, I know. Just hold your horses," Lucas replies sharply. He continues pressing buttons on the panel. "Wait, wait, here we go... yes! Okay, that should do it." The plasma stops flowing in front of them.

"Nice work, ensign," Jason says, smiling.

"Thank you, captain," Lucas says sarcastically. Jason smacks him on the back of the head and grins. They proceed down to the end of the corridor and enter engineering.

A group of Orions is holding Captain Brott and her crew hostage. "Come any closer and she dies," a menacing looking Orion taunts. A worried look rests upon Jason's face as he contemplates what to do.

* * *

Back on the Leviathan, repairs are ongoing. "How's it coming down there, Ernie?" Tala asks over the comm.

"Not good, sir. It looks like that overload did more damage to the subsystems than we thought," Ernie says while working on an EPS conduit in the wall of main engineering.

"We've got to get main power back online before more Orions show up."

"I'm a scientist, not an engineer. I'm doing my best."

"I don't care, just get it done, Tala out."

Ernie sighs heavily and then continues working.

Tala leans back in the captain's chair and sighs. "Any luck contacting the away team, Hannah?" she asks.

"No, sir, something is jamming the signal. The Azura was badly damaged in the attack—perhaps radiation from their damaged warp core is causing the interference," Hannah replies.

"Keep trying."

"Aye, sir."

**...**

On the Azura, the away team has reached engineering, only to be confronted with another dangerous situation. "Take one more step and I'll kill her," the lead Orion states boldly.

"Gentlemen, can't we come to a peaceful solution? I'm sure that..." Jason starts.

"NO! None of your tricks. I know your kind. You talk of peace only to get us to lower our guard—then you strike. A bunch of cowards, the lot of you," the Orion replies sternly.

Jason turns to his away team. He silently motions Vance L'eher to pull out his last remaining smoke grenade. L'eher takes the hint, and pulls the grenade out of his satchel, holding it behind his back.

"Now, turn around, and walk back the way you came, slowly," the Orion continues.

"How do we know you won't order your men to shoot us in the back?" Jason replies.

The Orion chuckles. "You don't."

"Vance... now!" Jason shouts, leaping for one of the Orions. Almost simultaneously, Vance tosses the grenade at the feet of the Orions, causing them to jump back in fear. The lead Orion releases Captain Brott from his grip and begins coughing as the smoke fills the room. Vance grabs the Orion from behind and knocks him out. The rest of the Orions try to flee, but Jason and the away team manage to stun them before they can escape.

The smoke begins to fade, and Jason walks over to Captain Brott. "Captain, what happened?" he asks.

"We were following our normal traffic route, bringing goods to the nearby systems, when those pirates attacked us. There was no explanation, not that Orions are known to give them," she replies.

"Captain! The warp core is going critical, we've got to get out of here!" one of the away team members says urgently.

"Alright, let's go."

Captain Brott hesitates. "You'll never make it to the transporter in time, I have to stay behind."

"But you'll die," Jason protests.

"I know this ship well, captain, I can hold her together long enough for you and my crew to escape. Otherwise, all of us will die."

Jason nods. "Good luck."

She walks over to a control panel and begins working. "Everyone else, come with me!" Jason shouts, leading the way out of engineering. He turns at the doorway. "If there's time, we'll transport you out of here, captain," he says to Brott.

She smiles. "Thank you."

* * *

Jason and the away team, along with the remainder of Captain Brott's crew, head back through the corridor to the aft cargo bay where they first came aboard the ship. Several Orions suddenly beam in ahead of them.

"Hold up!" Jason calls. The away team stops behind him. One of the Orions taunts them with his fist. Jason pulls out his phaser and points it at him.

The Orion laughs. "Give me your best shot, Starfleet!"

"If you insist," Jason replies. Jason shoots the ceiling above the Orion, causing part of it to fall on him and three of the others. Only two remain, and they run away from Jason. The away team makes chase and Jason manages to jump on the back of one of them. He tosses Jason off, only to be brought back down to the floor by Vance. Lucas and Jhael subdue the other Orion. Jason stands up, brushing himself off. "Well, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"

"No, not at all," Lucas retorts.

They continue to the cargo bay where the transporter is. The other two Azura crewmen are there waiting for them. Jason taps his combadge. "Fredricks to Leviathan, ten to beam up." He receives a reply of static. "Fredricks to Leviathan..."

"Sir? Is th-t you-?" a distorted voice replies.

"What's going on over there?"

"Th- ship took s-me d-mage, we are trying to r-pair the trans-orters..."

"Hurry up, the Azura's warp core is going critical!" Jason says, with a grave look on his face.

**...**

On the Leviathan, Ernie is working frantically to repair the damage to the Leviathan. "Okay, try that," he tells a crewman. The crewman presses some buttons on his control panel. The lights in engineering come on, and power seems to be restored. "That should do it," Ernie says with a pleased look on his face. There is a small explosion on the other side of the room. "What the hell?" he exclaims, running over to where it happened.

Tala comes over the comm. "Ernie, what's going on down there?"

"Another malfunction, sir, I'm working on it right now." He runs over to a wall panel. "Try it now, Anderson." Ensign Anderson again attempts to restore power. The lights come back on and main power comes online. Ernie smiles, pleased with his work.

Tala taps her combadge. "Transporter room, beam up the away team, now!"

The transporter chief initiates the transport. He presses several buttons, trying to boost the transporter's power. The transporter pads light up, and four Azura crewmen and two of the away team materialize. "Transport complete, sir, but there are still four more on board," the transporter chief tells Ernie over the comm. "I'm trying to transport them, but there's not enough power."

"Standby," Ernie replies.

**...**

Back on the Azura, Jason, Lucas and two other crewmen still remain. "We're not going to make it are we?" Lucas says to Jason.

"Well, it's not looking good, is it?" Jason turns to Jhael. "How much time do we have left?"

"One minute, sir," Jhael replies.

Jason lets out a large sigh. "Come on, Ernie, don't let me down," Jason says, sitting down.

On the Leviathan, Ernie is still trying to divert power to the transporters. "Try that," he says.

"Initiating transport," the transporter officer replies.

Tala looks at Ernie. "How much time do they have?"

"I'd say between thirty and fifty seconds."

"Can you get us out of range of the blast in time?"

"I'll certainly try," Ernie replies.

Jason and the remainder of the away team begin to dematerialize. Jason looks up at Lucas with a hopeful glance.

"Sir, main power is back, but only partially," an officer says to Ernie.

"Transporter room, do we have them?"

"Aye, sir. I got them."

"Divert remaining power to engines, get us out of here!" Tala shouts.

The Leviathan moves out of the way of the blast, just as the Azura's core breaches. The Azura explodes, leaving nothing but debris.

Jason stands up slowly. "Captain Brott?" he asks the transporter chief.

"I'm sorry, sir, I couldn't get a lock on her signal. There was too much interference from the Azura's warp core."

Jason nods. "Come on, Lucas, we'll be needed on the bridge." He and Lucas exit the transporter room.

* * *

Jason and Lucas enter the bridge. "Status report, ensign," Jason says, sitting down in his chair.

"Minor damage to the outer hull, sir, but shields are only at 34%," Tala reports.

"Captain! More Orion ships dropping out of warp. They're locking weapons, sir," Hannah says worriedly.

"Hail them."

"Captain?" Lucas looks at him, puzzled.

"Sir, they are hailing us," Tala replies.

"On-screen."

The viewscreen flashes on. A female Orion appears on the screen. "Well, well, captain, I see you have... dissuaded my men from finishing what they started. The consequences for crossing the Orion Syndicate are severe, as you know. And unfortunately for you, I don't take prisoners. Pity, you're very... cute," she says, giggling.

Jason smiles back. "Now, you listen to me. You intruded into Federation space, and attacked one of our cargo ships. It's you who will face the consequences of your actions. The way I see it, you have two options, surrender, in which case, I will overlook your intrusion on our space, or die trying to ransack a ship that no longer exists."

The Orion seems taken aback by Jason's boldness. She hesitates for a moment. "Very well, captain, you win... this time." The channel closes.

Lucas looks over at Jason with an amused grin. "How'd you know they would back down?"

"I didn't—I just went on a hunch that if they no longer had anything left to pillage, they'd leave."

"Yeah, unless they decided to pillage us..." Tala drifts off.

"I gambled, and this time I won," Jason states, resting his head on his hand.

"I just hope that we'll be this lucky next time," Lucas says, turning back to his station.

"Where to now, sir?" Ernie asks.

"Oh, I don't know... maybe in that... general... direction," Jason says, waving his hand at the viewscreen.

Ernie chuckles as he plots a course out of the system. The Leviathan goes to warp.

* * *

**A/N: The crew is becoming accustomed to each other, and are forming friendships. However, their loyalty to each other will continue to be tested in future episodes. See how they react to a new threat in "Episode 4: Diplomatic Orders". Please review!**


	4. Diplomatic Orders

**》SEASON 1 / EPISODE 4 ~ DIPLOMATIC ORDERS《**

_Stardate 83185.1_  
_Earth Date: Feb. 5, 2409_

* * *

Jason sits up in his bed and yawns. He gets up and heads for his bathroom. "Lights," he says. The light in the bathroom comes on. He begins undressing as he enters his shower. Several minutes later, he exits into his bedroom, partially dressed. A beeping noise coming from his desk startles him. He walks over to his computer and turns it on.

Tala appears on the screen. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but we have received a priority message from Admiral Quinn."

"Put it through here."

The screen changes to Admiral Quinn on Earth Spacedock. "Jason, how are you?"

"I'm doing well, admiral, and yourself?"

"I'm doing quite well, thank you."

"You said you had an important message for me?"

"Ah, yes. Do you know Ambassador Sokketh of Vulcan?"

Jason ponders the question for a moment. "I've heard of him, though I've never actually met him in person."

"He is an old friend, and a damn fine diplomat if you ask me."

"What exactly did you have in mind, admiral?"

"I need you to transport him from Vulcan to P'Jem. We can't risk the Klingons attacking an unarmed Vulcan ship carrying an important diplomat like Sokketh. As we've already seen, those pirates and marauders are not afraid to come deep into our space and raid our ships. That's why I need the Leviathan for this mission."

"Alright, admiral. Consider it a personal favor."

"Thank you, Jason." Quinn ends the transmission.

Jason taps his combadge. "Helm, set course for Vulcan."

* * *

Lucas, Ernie and Hannah are sitting in the mess hall, talking. "...so he said, 'You can't change the laws of physics', then I said, 'Why not? They used to do it all the time!'," Ernie says wiping his forehead and laughing.

"Haha! That's good," Lucas replies, also laughing.

Hannah looks at them both, puzzled. "I don't get it."

Ernie turns to her. "Well, you see, that was the joke..." he trails off.

Just then, Jason enters the mess hall. "Mind if I join you guys?" he says, walking up to their table.

"Not at all, sir," Hannah answers. Jason takes a seat. A few awkward moments of silence ensue.

The bartender walks up to Jason. "Can I get you something to drink, sir?"

"Yes, I'll take a Saurian Brandy."

"You got it," the bartender replies.

Jason turns back to them. "Well, please... don't stop on my account," he says with a half-smile.

Hannah leans closer to him. "Sir, is it true we're going to Vulcan?" she asks.

"Yes. We're also going to P'Jem."

"Isn't that like an old Vulcan monastery?" Lucas asks.

"I believe so," Jason responds.

"May I ask what our mission is, captain?" Ernie takes his turn at asking a question.

"We're escorting Ambassador Sokketh from Vulcan to P'Jem."

"Really? That's all?" Lucas groans.

"No one ever said all of our assignments were going to be loads of fun and excitement. You just gotta suck it up and deal with it."

"Eh, you suck it up. I'm going to bed," Lucas says, standing up. "Wake me when we get there."

"You realize we'll be there in less than an hour, right?" Jason says mockingly.

"You realize you're cutting into my sleep time?" Lucas retorts. He walks out of the mess hall.

"Here's your drink, sir," the bartender says, walking up to the table.

"Thank you," Jason replies as he sets the drink down. Jason takes a sip. "Yep, just another routine mission..."

* * *

Jason enters the bridge. Tala turns to face him. "Captain, we're receiving a hail from Vulcan. It's from the ambassador."

"Put it on-screen."

The viewscreen activates. "I am T'Pela, aide to Ambassador Sokketh," the female Vulcan introduces herself.

"Captain Jason Fredricks, USS Leviathan," Jason returns the introduction.

"Captain, I am sorry to inconvenience you, but the ambassador wishes that you bring a shuttle down and meet him on the planet personally. He is somewhat... apprehensive of the use of transporters. You understand, I hope?"

"Of course," Jason replies.

"Good. I must say, he is... most eager to meet you."

"And I him."

T'Pela bows her head politely, and the channel closes. Jason leans back in his chair. "So, who would like to volunteer to go down with me?"

"Well, sir, you will need a good pilot," Ernie pipes up.

"Alright, Ernie. Everyone else, you can stay here. There's no foreseeable danger; we should be back in less than an hour." Jason and Ernie walk to the turbolift and the door closes behind them.

**...**

They enter the shuttle bay and walk to the nearest shuttle. The back hatch opens and they walk inside. Ernie takes a seat at the navigation console, and Jason takes a seat next to him. Jason chuckles. Ernie turns to look at him. "What is it, sir?"

"Well, it's just that I thought you were a scientist," Jason replies.

"I am, sir."

Ernie turns back to the console, and presses several buttons. The shuttle bay door opens, and they lift off.

"I guess it would be wise not to underestimate scientists, then," Jason says, smiling.

"I thought it prudent to learn more than just biology and physics. My father always pushed me to learn new things, so I decided to become a pilot as well."

"Your dad seems like a good guy," Jason says, turning to face Ernie.

"Yep. He is," Ernie replies. He looks down at his console. "We're entering the atmosphere now, sir."

"Steady as she goes." Jason says, leaning back in his chair.

Ernie lands the shuttle just outside one of the cities. "The city should be within walking distance, captain," he says, standing up.

They walk out into the arid Vulcan air. "It's... blander than I remembered," Jason says, gazing at the bleak surface of the planet. "Definitely not an ideal vacation spot."

"It seems to reflect the Vulcans' personalities pretty well," Ernie replies. Jason tries to avoid bursting out laughing.

They walk toward the city, passing several monks along the way. "Excuse me, can you tell me where we can find Ambassador Sokketh?" Jason asks one of the monks.

"He is up at the top of the hill," the monk replies, pointing at a nearby hill.

They make their way up the hill to the temple where several more monks are performing a Kal Rekk ritual. Amongst them is the ambassador. They approach him slowly. T'Pela turns to them. "Welcome to Vulcan, captain."

Jason bows politely. "Thank you."

Ambassador Sokketh seems to finally take notice of them. "Ah, captain. I must speak to you at once."

"Very well," Jason replies.

"Not... here, captain. Please, walk with me." Jason and Sokketh begin walking; Ernie remains, talking to T'Pela. "Captain, it is urgent that you take me to meet with the abbot on P'Jem," Sokketh says.

"We can do that. But I don't see what the problem is."

"It's High Priest Savin. He feels I have not given a valid reason for going to P'Jem. I told him I had urgent business to discuss with the abbot, but he refuses."

"Maybe I can talk to him," Jason replies.

"It would be much appreciated, captain. My mission is of utmost importance."

Jason returns to where T'Pela and Ernie are. He turns to the monks. "Which of you is Savin?"

"I am he," one replies, dressed in elegant robes.

"Ambassador Sokketh has requested permission to go to P'Jem and I understand you have refused him."

"Yes. If he can not give me a more logical reason than 'to visit the abbot', I cannot allow it. P'Jem is a sacred monastery of our people. I am... sorry."

"We will ensure that it stays that way. You have my word," Jason answers.

The high priest pauses for a moment. "Well, I suppose I could allow it... very well, captain. You seem an honorable man. I will grant it."

Jason bows. "Thank you." He returns to Sokketh. "Savin has granted us permission to go to P'Jem," Jason says, walking up to him.

"Good. If there are no further delays, I would like to proceed to your ship," Sokketh replies.

"This way." Jason leads the way back to the shuttle. They board it and enter the atmosphere of Vulcan.

* * *

_"Captain's log, stardate 83185.1. We have received Vulcan Ambassador Sokketh and are headed back to the Leviathan, where we will then take the ambassador to P'Jem; an ancient Vulcan monastery. So far, there have been no signs of Klingon interference in the matter, but I wouldn't put it past them to attempt an attack even this far into Federation space."_

Ernie taps his console as he pilots the shuttle out of the upper atmosphere. "We are leaving the exosphere now, sir," Ernie says, glancing over at Jason.

"Good." Jason leans back in his chair.

"A very impressive ship, captain," Sokketh says, seeing the Leviathan out of the front viewport of the shuttle.

"She is a fine ship," Jason replies.

The shuttlebay doors open on the Leviathan, and Ernie pilots the ship inside. He lands it and the back hatch opens. Jason and Ambassador Sokketh exit the shuttle first. "Ambassador, would you like to join us in the mess hall for a drink?" Jason asks.

"No, thank you, captain. If you will excuse me, I will retire to my quarters for the time being," Sokketh replies.

"Very well. Ernie, please show the ambassador to his quarters."

"Aye, captain." Ernie leads the way out of the shuttlebay.

**...**

Jason enters the mess hall. Tala is sitting at one of the tables, looking out the window. "Mind if I join you?" he asks her.

"Oh, no... captain. Um... sorry, I didn't notice you there..." she says, a bit startled.

He takes a seat at the table. "What's wrong Tala? You seem... uptight lately."

"I..." she trails off, trying to search for the right words. "It's nothing."

"Tell me," he urges.

"It's my uncle, he... was killed in a Klingon raid on the Azha System." She hangs her head.

"I'm... sorry, Tala."

"It's alright."

"What was his name?"

"Robert Jones," she says, looking up at him. She wipes a tear from her cheek. "He wasn't my real uncle; I was adopted when I was very young. I never knew my real parents."

"But I take it you were close to your uncle?"

"Yes. He was only nine years older than me, so he was almost like an older brother," she chuckles. Jason rests his hand comfortingly on Tala's, and she gives him a half-smile.

Lucas comes over the comm. "Captain, we're entering the P'Jem System."

Jason taps his combadge. "Acknowledged." Tala stands up. "Are you sure you're okay?" he says softly, directing his attention back at her.

She nods. "Yeah, I'm fine, captain, thanks." They leave the mess hall.

* * *

The Leviathan enters the P'Jem System. "Drop us out of warp," Jason orders.

"Aye, captain," Ernie replies. The Leviathan drops to impulse.

"Maintain standard orbit around the planet."

"Standard orbit, aye."

A console starts beeping. "Sir, sensors are picking up three Klingon vessels in the system," Hannah says worriedly.

"Are they aware of us?" Jason asks.

"I'd say so. They're hailing us, captain," Tala responds.

"On-screen," Jason says.

A Klingon captain appears on the viewscreen. "You have a spy aboard your ship, captain," the Klingon states boldly.

"Well, you cut right to the point, don't you?" Jason remarks.

"The Vulcan ambassador on your ship is a filthy Undine spy. Turn him over to us, or we will open fire!" the Klingon says, more sternly than before.

"Do you have proof of this?"

"PetaQ! You dare insult my honor!" the Klingon yells, losing his patience.

"Hold on now, I didn't..." Jason begins, only to be interrupted.

"Prepare to die!" the Klingon yells once again, closing the channel.

"Shields up, red alert!" Jason shouts. The red alert siren blares.

Two of the Klingon vessels cloak, but the third remains facing them. "Target the lead vessel, but keep an eye on the other two," Jason says. The Klingon ship opens fire. Two torpedoes race toward the Leviathan. "Evasive maneuvers!" he shouts.

One of the torpedoes narrowly misses, but the other is a direct hit. "Shields are holding, sir," Tala says, addressing Jason.

"Return fire," Jason says, extending his hand. The Leviathan's phasers glow orange and hit the Klingon vessel directly. Two more direct hits. Suddenly, one of the other Klingon vessels decloaks and opens fire. The Leviathan takes several hits. "Target both ships and fire," Jason orders. The phasers shoot at both vessels, doing minor damage.

"Captain, if we target the ships just as they start to decloak, we may catch them with their shields down," Ernie suggests.

"Alright. As soon as the third vessel decloaks, fire." The third vessel decloaks as the other two continue firing upon them. "Now!" Jason shouts. The Leviathan spits out two torpedoes that blast right through the hull of the third vessel. The explosion damages the lead vessel. The Leviathan continues firing on the two remaining vessels.

"Shields are down to 62%," Tala reports.

"Status of the Klingons?"

"The lead ship's hull is at 76%, the other is at 48%."

"Focus all fire on the second vessel."

Two more torpedo hits, and the second vessel is destroyed. "The lead vessel is hailing us, captain," Tala says.

"On-screen."

The Klingon glares angrily at Jason. "You may have won this battle, captain, but soon you will see the truth, and we will not be there to save your miserable life." The channel closes.

"Do you believe what the Klingons are saying?" Lucas asks.

"I'm not one to trust Klingons. Nevertheless, we should keep an eye on the ambassador," Jason says, stroking his chin. He stands up. "Tala, come with me. Hannah, inform Ambassador Sokketh to meet us in the transporter room." Jason and Tala enter the turbolift.

**...**

When they enter the transporter room, Sokketh and two security officers are already waiting for them. "Captain, are you sure we can't use another shuttlecraft? You know how I feel about molecular transportation," Sokketh complains.

"Sorry, ambassador, but I can't risk it. There may be more Klingon ships out there just waiting for an opportunity to attack. Transporting down will be much safer," Jason replies.

"Very well," Sokketh sighs as he steps onto the transporter pad.

"Energize," Jason says to the transport officer. He engages the transporter, and they dematerialize.

* * *

_"Captain's log, supplemental. We have arrived at P'Jem, and after a brief confrontation with the Klingons, are headed to the Vulcan monastery to meet the abbot."_

Jason, Tala, Sokketh, and the two security officers materialize on the planet. "Do you think we'll run into any more Klingons down here?" one of the crewmen asks. Just then, two Klingons spot them from the distance. They begin shouting and running toward them.

"Does that answer your question?" Jason says, ducking down to avoid their fire. "Ambassador, stay behind us," he says, turning to Sokketh. The two security officers quickly shoot the Klingons. Another one sneaks out from behind a building. Tala quick-wittedly shoots him.

The away team proceeds up a rather large hill, heading for the abbey at the top. Several Klingons ambush them about halfway up. One grabs Jason from behind. He is able to shake him, and hits him with his fist. The Klingon is barely stunned, and picks Jason up. Ambassador Sokketh uses a Vulcan nerve pinch on the Klingon, who then collapses. "Thanks, ambassador," Jason says politely. Sokketh nods.

They continue up the hill, and finally reach the top. Another group of Klingons awaits them. They proceed to dispose of them the same way as before. Having gotten past the Klingons, they reach the abbey at the top of the hill. The abbot, who was injured by the Klingons, is being attended to by his aides. Jason and Tala approach him. Jason's combadge chirps. He taps it. "What is it?"

"Captain, we just received a message from T'Pela, she says that they've discovered the remains of Ambassador Sokketh on Vulcan..." Hannah falters.

"So he is... an imposter?" Jason says, with a worried tone.

"Yes, sir. Be careful," Hannah replies.

Ambassador Sokketh—or rather the imposter—looks at Jason suspiciously. Jason takes notice of this. "Fredricks out."

Sokketh approaches him. "There is much emotion on your face. It seems my deception has been exposed. No matter, soon the abbot will be replaced as well. And you will die," he laughs maniacally.

Jason draws his phaser, Tala and the security officers following suit. The imposter shape shifts, and reveals himself to be an Undine. One of the security officers shoots him with his phaser. It barely stuns him, and he races toward the officer. "O'Donnell, look out!" Jason yells. Ensign O'Donnell doesn't have enough time to react, and is thrown into a wall by the Undine. The other officer ducks, barely avoiding being hit by the Undine's massive arm. Tala shoots him with her phaser, only angering him more. She walks backwards, as he continues to approach her. Jason, thinking on his feet, pulls a photon grenade from his satchel. He chucks it at the Undine, and it explodes next to him, causing him to stumble.

He changes form again, this time into a Klingon. "Why should I trouble myself with beings such as yourselves, when the Klingons will kill you for me?" Tala shoots at him, but he dodges her shot. He runs up to a group of Klingons. "The Undine filth has disguised itself as one of the Starfleet officers. I'm returning to the ship. Kill them," he says.

"Aye, sir," one of the Klingons responds. The imposter dematerializes.

Jason sighs heavily. Tala and the security officer walk up behind him. The Klingons take notice of them, and approach. "That man is not who you think he is," Jason says. "He is the Undine spy."

"Ha! First you refuse to believe that the spy is among you, and now that your eyes are open, you seek to dishonor our captain? How do I know you're not the spy?" the lead Klingon retorts.

"Please, don't do this. We don't wish to fight you."

"You will die, as the lying scum that you are." The Klingons raise their weapons. Jason dives into one of the bushes, as Tala and the security officer open fire, backing up slowly. Several of the Klingons search for Jason, and are taken out by Tala and the security officer while they are distracted. The lead Klingon finally locates Jason, and pounces on him.

Jason manages to crawl out of the bush, and pulls his phaser on the Klingon. "Drop it!" he yells. Tala and the other officer stand behind the Klingon, weapons raised.

The Klingon drops his weapon. "You're not going to kill me?" he asks, seeing Jason lower his phaser.

"No. We only kill when we have to." Jason's combadge chirps again. He taps it. "Go ahead."

"Ensign Wells to away team, you'd better get up here, captain."

"Understood. Transporter room, four to beam up." The away team, along with the Klingon, are transported to the Leviathan.

* * *

Jason and Tala enter the bridge. "What is it, Lucas?" Jason asks.

"Take a look for yourself," Lucas replies, pointing at the viewscreen. An Undine dreadnought is in space, facing them.

"Inform Starfleet of the situation," Jason says.

"Already did, sir," Ernie responds.

"Open hailing frequencies."

"Open, sir," Tala replies.

"Undine vessel, this is Captain Jason Fredricks of the USS Leviathan. Please state your intentions."

"I'm getting a response, audio only."

"Put it through."

There is a moment of static. "This is the Undine vessel Plok'tau, our intention is to destroy you and your civilization. Prepare to die." The channel closes.

"Mighty friendly, aren't they?" Lucas remarks.

"Raise shields," Jason says.

The Undine ship opens fire on the Leviathan. The ship shakes from the impacts of the Undine plasma torpedoes. "Shields down to 65%, captain," Tala reports.

"Return fire!" Jason shouts. The Leviathan spews a volley of photon torpedoes back at the dreadnought.

"No effect on the Undine ship, captain."

"Fire phaser banks."

The Undine continues its barrage of torpedoes and antiproton beams. "Shields down to 39%, sir. We can't take much more of this!"

A console explodes next to Lucas. He ducks to avoid the debris. The Undine continue pounding the Leviathan. "Shields at 10%. Hull breaches on decks four and nine," Tala says frantically.

"I thought Starfleet was sending ships to help us," Lucas says, voice faltering.

"Status of the Undine ship?" Jason asks.

"Their shields are at 92%, sir. There's no way we can beat them. A few more seconds, and our shields will be down," Tala replies gravely.

The Undine continue their attack, unrelenting. Another console explodes, killing a crewman. "Shields are down, captain..." Tala hangs her head. "Hull integrity is at 74%."

"So, this is it? This is how it ends?" Jason asks, to no one in particular.

Suddenly, several Federation ships enter the system. The Undine dreadnought ceases fire on the Leviathan, and turns its attention to them. "The Kirk is hailing us, captain."

"Put it on-screen."

"You look like you could use some help, captain," Captain Thelin of the USS Kirk says.

"Much appreciated, sir," Jason replies, smiling. He turns to Tala. "Fire anything we've got left at the Undine ship."

"Aye, sir."

The fleet of six Federation vessels form a blockade around the dreadnought. The Undine manage to destroy the USS Terev, and heavily damage the USS Texas. The remainder of the fleet continues its attack.

"Their shields are dropping, captain!"

"Target their weapons and engines," Jason orders. They fire a volley of torpedoes at the dreadnought. It explodes, leaving nothing but debris.

"We're being hailed by the Kirk again."

"On-screen."

"Captain Fredricks, can you make it back to Earth Spacedock for repairs?" Captain Thelin asks. Jason looks over at Ernie.

"I believe so, sir," Ernie answers.

"Yes, captain. Thanks," Jason says, directing his attention back at Thelin.

"Anytime. Thelin out."

"It's certainly been an interesting day, hasn't it?" Jason says, sighing.

"And I expect you had the situation under control the whole time?" Lucas says mockingly.

"Well, not the _whole_ time. There was a moment when I thought we might not make it," Jason replies.

Lucas breathes deeply. "Uh-huh. But for future reference, when a Klingon says we have a spy on our ship, maybe we should listen to 'em."

Jason laughs. "Helm, set course for Earth Spacedock, Warp 5. Engage." The Leviathan enters warp.

* * *

**A/N: The Undine, known by the Borg as Species 8472, are a foe that will not be easily beaten. Will Jason and crew discover why the Undine are posing as important diplomats and invading Federation space? Find out in "Episode 5: Hide and Seek". Please review!**


	5. Hide and Seek

**》SEASON 1 / EPISODE 5 ~ HIDE AND SEEK《**

_Stardate 83189.9_  
_Earth Date: Feb. 7, 2409_

* * *

Jason is sitting in his ready room, reading a PADD, when the doorbell chirps. "Come," he says, not looking up from his PADD. Hannah enters the room. He glances up at her.

She hesitates for a moment. "Sir... I request to be reassigned to engineering," she manages.

He sets down his PADD and looks into her eyes. He pauses before speaking, searching for the right words to say. "Hannah, you're my ops officer, I need you on the bridge... might I inquire as to why you want to be reassigned?"

"My parents pushed me to study science (they both majored in that field at the Academy), but I wanted to be an engineer. I love building things—working on plasma manifolds and EPS flow regulators—inventing new technologies..." she trails off.

He nods, telling her he understands. "When I was a teenager, I wanted to be the youngest starship captain in Starfleet. I was gonna show everyone that I had what it took to pull it off. But my dad told me to slow down and take things one step at a time. I eventually settled with being a junior tactical officer," he says, smiling slightly.

"But what does that have to do with me, sir?"

"Look, all I'm saying is, don't bite off more than you can chew. Take things one step at a time... however, if you think you've got what it takes..." he says, smile broadening. Hannah's face lights up. "I'll get Mr. Onika to train you. If he thinks you can handle yourself there, consider it done."

"Oh, thank you, captain!" she says in the voice of a giddy schoolgirl. "I won't let you down." She walks out of the room.

"I know you won't," he says, smiling. He picks up the PADD, and continues reading.

His computer suddenly beeps. He looks and sees he is receiving a message from Admiral Quinn. He presses a button and the admiral appears on the screen. "Hello, admiral, how may I help you today?" Jason asks.

"Ah, Jason. Hello again," Quinn chuckles. "Starfleet has been trying to decode the message sent by the Undine spy that you exposed on P'Jem."

"I see, and?" Jason says, resting his chin in his hand.

"Now, what I'm about to tell you is classified," Quinn continues. "The Undine made several references to the Paulson Nebula in the Lackey System. We need you to find out what they have taken interest of in there."

"Understood, admiral."

"Very good. Quinn out."

Jason leans to the side and presses a button on his desk, turning on the internal comm channel. "Helm, set course for the Lackey System."

* * *

Jason enters the bridge. "How long until we reach the Lackey System?" he asks.

"Forty minutes, sir," Ernie replies.

Jason takes a seat in his chair. "Captain, may I talk to you?" Tala asks.

"Of course," Jason replies, turning to face her.

"Not here, sir."

"Alright." He stands up and leads the way to his ready room. Ernie glances at them as they enter the ready room. "What's on your mind, ensign?" Jason asks.

"You reassigned Freeman I hear?" Tala says, in a "please tell me more" tone.

"I did," he replies.

"May I ask why, sir?"

"She wanted to be stationed in engineering, and I told her if she was up to it, she would get her wish."

"So who do we put in her place at ops?"

"I was thinking... Charlie Morgan maybe," he replies.

"Okay. I'll let him know," Tala answers, walking out.

Jason sighs. He walks to his chair, once again. Ernie has a curious look on his face, but he remains silent.

**...**

Hannah enters engineering, and approaches Jhael Onika, the chief engineer. "Miss Freeman, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on the bridge?" the lanky Saurian asks.

"I've been reassigned to engineering by order of the captain," she responds, smiling.

"I see. Well, I expect he wishes me to train you, considering you are a science officer," he replies, still a bit perplexed by her presence in engineering.

"Yes, sir," she says, standing at attention.

"Tell me, ensign, what is the purpose of a plasma injector?" he says, beginning to pace.

"Its purpose is to channel warp drive plasma into the warp coils," she replies confidently.

"What is the composition of warp coils?"

"They're made of verterium cortenide, surrounding a tungsten-cobalt-magnesium core."

"And what intermix ratio would I use in a matter/antimatter reaction assembly?"

"One to one, sir," she replies, smiling. He looks moderately impressed.

"Hmm. We may have some use of you down here after all. However, being an engineer is more than being able to answer a few technical questions. You have be able to apply your knowledge to reality."

"I can do it, sir."

"I believe you. That's why I'm going to put you with Ensign Schrader. He will help you get the hang of working at your new post. Welcome to the engineering team," he says, smiling.

"Thanks," she replies, walking over to Ensign Schrader.

* * *

"Drop us out of warp," Jason orders, as the Leviathan enters the Lackey System. The ship comes to a halt. "Scan the system."

"Sir, receiving a distress call from the USS Valor. They're under attack by the Gorn," Lucas pipes up.

"Red alert, engage weapons systems." Jason says. The red alert siren comes on, letting everyone onboard know they are about to enter combat. Two Gorn Vishap Frigates are firing upon the Valor as they approach. "Hail the Gorn. Tell them to stand down," Jason says, ready to give the command to fire.

Tala tries to raise them. "No response, sir."

Jason nods. "Fire."

The Leviathan expels several torpedoes and phaser beams at the Gorn. "They're breaking off the Valor sir. They're headed for us now," Tala reports. One of them hits the Leviathan directly. The ship quakes. The Leviathan continues to fire upon them. One of them explodes, disabling the other. "Shall I destroy them, sir?" Tala asks.

"No. They're no threat now."

"Aye, captain."

Jason turns to Ernie. "Helm, take us to within transporter range of the Valor. They may need assistance over there."

"We're being hailed, captain."

"On-screen." The viewscreen lights up. "Captain, do you require assistance?" Jason asks.

"Yes, the Gorn disabled our warp drive and our dilithium crystals have been damaged. Our scans show that there are deposits of dilithium on the nearby asteroids. Could you beam some up to your ship, and bring it back to us?" the captain asks.

"Of course, we'll be back as soon as we can," Jason replies. The captain nods, and the channel closes.

"Helm, take us to the nearest asteroid and beam up some dilithium," Jason orders.

"Aye, captain," Ernie replies. "Within transporter range in five, four, three, two, one. In range, captain."

"Energize," Jason replies.

"Sir, that's not going to be enough dilithium for their warp core," Lucas says.

"Alright, we'll just have to find another asteroid," Jason says, resting his chin on his hand.

"Found one," Lucas says, a little bit excitedly.

"In range, now, sir," Ernie says.

"Energize," Jason gives the order again. "Do we have enough now?"

"I think so," Lucas replies.

"Helm, take us back to the Valor," Jason orders. The Leviathan once again approaches the Valor. "Hail the Valor," Jason says, standing up. The viewscreen comes on. "We got the dilithium, captain," he says.

"Thank you very much, captain, it is most appreciated," the Valor's captain replies.

"Is there anything else you require?" Jason asks.

The captain of the Valor sighs. "Captain, there is something we need to discuss. Would it be possible for me to beam over there?"

"Yes, of course," Jason replies.

"Thank you," he says, closing the channel.

"Transporter room, prepare to beam over the captain of the USS Valor," Jason says over the intercom. "I'll be in my ready room," he says, addressing Tala.

"I'll send him in when he gets here, sir," Tala responds.

* * *

Jason's ready room doorbell chirps. "Come," he says.

The Valor's captain walks in. "Captain Stefan Marz," he says, holding out a hand.

Jason takes it and returns the greeting. "Jason Fredricks," he replies. "What brings you to this system, captain?" Jason asks, gesturing for him to sit down.

Marz takes him up on his offer, and takes a seat. "We were in the system mapping the Paulson Nebula, when we realized that the nebula was draining our ship's engines. We tried to acquire some dilithium from these asteroids, but that's when the Gorn attacked us. We hailed them, and they said they had claimed the dilithium in this system, and would destroy any ships who tried to take it."

"But this system is Federation-controlled," Jason says, with a puzzled look on his face.

"You think I don't know that?" Marz sighs. "We warned them about the consequences of invading our space, but they were too strong. Our ship's subsystems were already going haywire, and they used that to their advantage. Had it not been for you, we'd be sucking on space dust now."

"What interest do you think the Gorn would have with this system?" Jason asks, very intrigued by Marz's tale.

"The dilithium. They've apparently been mining it for months now, without us knowing about it."

"Well then, it's up to us to stop them," Jason replies.

"We'd assist you if we could, but the Valor is in no condition to be fighting off Gorn raiders. Good luck, captain. And be careful," Marz says, standing up.

"Thanks again for the dilithium."

"Any time," Jason says, ushering Captain Marz out.

"I hope we can return the favor someday," Marz replies.

Jason smiles and nods. Marz enters the turbolift and heads for the transporter.

"Where to now, captain?" Ernie asks.

Jason is about to speak, but Tala interrupts him. "Captain, the Gorn ship we disabled is powering up again!"

"Raise shields!" Jason shouts.

"Sir, they're going into warp," Charlie Morgan says, looking up from his console. The Vishap Frigate enters warp and leaves the system.

"Looks like we won't be seeing any more of them," Ernie says.

"Or maybe they went to tell their buddies about us," Lucas replies.

"Heading, captain?" Ernie asks, again turning to face Jason.

"Don't we have a decalithium refinery in orbit of Lackey III?" Jason asks.

"Aye, captain," Charlie responds.

"Well, I'd say that's as good a place as any to find more Gorn. Set course for Lackey III, Mr. Hauser."

"Aye, sir."

**...**

The Leviathan approaches Lackey III, a half-destroyed planet, with a decalithium refinery resting upon a large broken-off piece of the planet.

Charlie "Just as you predicted, sir. I'm detecting several Gorn ships in the vicinity," Charlie reports.

"I don't think we can expect these Gorn to be any more polite than the others. Raise shields, and ready weapons."

The Gorn ships take notice of them, and open fire. After several volleys of phaser, disruptor and torpedo fire, two of the Gorn ships are destroyed and two more badly damaged. "They're retreating, captain," Tala says. "We took minor damage to the outer hull and deflector array."

"Are the Gorn really this weak, or are they just building up our confidence so they can lead us into a trap?" Lucas muses.

"I don't know, but I intend to get to the bottom of all of this," Jason replies. "I want a sample of the decalithium beamed aboard immediately."

"Aye, captain," Charlie says. He tries to initiate a transport on the decalithium. "Sir, trouble beaming up the decalithium. It looks like the Gorn have a jamming station nearby that is preventing transport."

"We've got to destroy that jamming station," Jason replies.

"We can beam some spatial charges aboard the station."

"Good. Let's do it."

Charlie initiates a transport, and the spatial charges materialize on the jamming station. Several seconds later, it explodes.

"That did it, sir. We can now get a lock on the decalithium."

"Beam it aboard," Jason answers.

"Transport complete."

"Sir, won't decalithium boost our impulse engines, if input correctly?" Ernie asks.

"That was the idea," Jason smiles.

* * *

_"Captain's log, stardate 83189.9. Captain Marz recently informed me of an illegal Gorn mining operation in the Paulson Nebula, and after visiting the decalithium refinery at Lackey III, our suspicions have been confirmed. The only remaining question is why the Gorn have come this far into Federation space, simply to gain a small surplus of dilithium."_

Jason, Tala, Lucas and Charlie are reviewing a map of the Lackey System. "This is the area Captain Marz told me about. I believe it's the heart of this Gorn operation," Jason says, pointing to a spot on the map.

"Sir, that's deep in the Paulson Nebula, and if you remember what happened to the Valor when they went in there..." Charlie replies.

"I know. That's why we got the decalithium. It should boost the engines enough to get us in there safely, and reduce the power drain caused by the nebula."

"I hope you're right," Lucas adds. He returns to his station, and Jason continues looking over the map. He sighs.

**...**

Ernie enters main engineering, where Jhael and Hannah are working on imputing the decalithium to the ship's engines. Ernie approaches Hannah. "Why'd you ask to be reassigned?" he asks.

She stops what she is doing momentarily, and asks one of the other engineers to continue for her. "This isn't a good time, Ernie. I'm still in training, and as you can see, I'm very busy," she replies.

"Was it because of me? Do I bother you with my presence?" he says sharply.

"What would make you think that?" she says right back to him.

"Why did you leave then?"

"Because I want to be an engineer. That's why," she sighs. "You're my friend, Ernie. And you always will be."

Jhael approaches them, after hearing their brief argument. "Ahem, miss Freeman, if you please?"

"I have to get back to work now, Ernie. I'll talk to you later." She returns to her work.

Ernie leaves engineering, and Hannah sighs heavily. "Men." She makes a face.

"He likes you. I saw the look in his eye," Ensign Schrader tells her quietly.

She turns to look at him. "I know. He's had feelings for me ever since we met, at the Academy."

"And you don't share them I take it?"

"He's a very good friend, but I'm just... not ready for a relationship right now."

"Well, I wish both of you luck," he says, walking away to continue his duties.

"Can we restart the engines, yet, ensign?" Jhael asks.

"Yes, sir. We should be good to go," Hannah replies.

"Good. I will inform the captain."

**...**

Jason, Tala, Lucas and Charlie are on the bridge, awaiting the signal from Jhael that they can get underway. "Ensign Onika to bridge, we are ready down here, captain," Jhael says over the intercom.

"Acknowledged. Restart the impulse engines."

"Engines restarted, captain, we are ready to get underway," Charlie says.

Ernie enters the bridge. "Ah, Ernie, there you are. Please take us into the nebula, one-quarter impulse," Jason tells him.

"Aye, captain." Ernie sits down, and enters the command into his panel.

The ship accelerates, and they enter the nebula. "There appear to be several large objects in the nebula, sir," Charlie reports from his station.

"We'll need to scan them for life signs. Helm, take us in."

They come to the first object, an old, abandoned mine. "No life signs, sir," Charlie says.

"Move on to the next object."

The Leviathan begins moving again, and approaches the second object. "It's a satellite sir, and it's been deactivated."

"Moving on," Ernie says. Jason sighs.

"It appears that there are three more unidentified objects ahead, sir. Trying to get a lock on them," Charlie says, reading his sensor scan data. They reach the third object. "Interesting. This asteroid is highly metallic. I'm not reading anything strange about it though."

"Captain, I'm reading several enemy signatures ahead. I can't tell how many yet," Tala reports.

"They could be guarding a hidden base," Ernie suggests.

"Keep going," Jason orders.

"The fourth object is a derelict hulk, sir. It is abandoned," Charlie says.

"Can you tell what the fifth is?"

"It's... it's a huge asteroid. Measuring almost two kilometers in diameter."

"That would be an ideal place to have a base," Lucas comments.

"Agreed," Jason says.

"I'm reading one Vor'cha Battle Cruiser, sir, and it appears that the whole area is full of mines. We need to be careful—igniting one mine could set all of the others off," Tala says.

"Helm, take us in. Weapons and shields to full."

Ernie pilots the Leviathan toward the asteroid. The Klingons open fire on them. "Shields holding at 95%," Tala says, holding on to her console as the ship shakes.

"Return fire. Initiate attack pattern omega."

The Klingons take a direct hit to their bridge, and there is a large explosion onboard. "The Klingons are disabled, sir."

"Take us into scanning range," Jason says.

The ship comes closer to the asteroid. "Hmm, there's definitely something down there, sir," Charlie tells him.

Several of the mines begin moving towards the ship. "Um, these mines are moving..." Lucas says nervously.

"What?" Tala asks.

"They're heading right for us, captain!"

"Phasers, full spread!" Jason shouts.

The Leviathan's phasers shoot in a circular patter around the ship, destroying most of the mines. A few manage to escape destruction and continue on their path. "Brace for impact," Tala says, once again gripping her console. The ship shakes violently as the mines impact on the shields. A wall console explodes. "Shields are down to 49%, sir."

"Are we in transporter range? Jason asks.

"Yes, captain," Charlie answers.

"Get repair crews working on the damage. We don't want to be caught off guard if more Klingons show up," Jason says, standing up. "Tala, Charlie, come with me. You have the bridge, Mr. Wells."

Jason, Tala and Charlie exit the bridge. Lucas walks over to the captain's chair and sits down.

* * *

Jason, Tala, Charlie, a security officer and a science officer materialize inside the Klingon base. A group of Klingons is there waiting for them. "Federation scum! What are you doing here?" one of them asks gruffly.

"I could ask you the same question," Jason replies, drawing his phaser.

"We will kill you and leave your carcasses to hang for your Starfleet friends to find," a large Klingon taunts.

"Bring it," Jason smiles.

The Klingons draw their weapons, and fire upon them. The away team takes cover, and Jason takes out two of the Klingons. Tala takes down another, but the fourth escapes down the corridor.

"We can't let him warn the others," Charlie pipes up.

"I'll get him, sir," the security officer volunteers. He runs after the Klingon.

"Wait for us! Don't split up," Jason calls after him, but it is too late.

They run after the officer, but find him to be dead at the hands of more Klingons. "You really should keep better track of your men, captain," a Klingon says, grinning.

Jason charges at the Klingons. Tala and Charlie take down the three two the side, leaving only two more. "Gah! Get off me!" the lead Klingon says, as Jason brings him down to the ground. The other Klingon, much bigger than the first, pulls Jason off and slams him into the wall. Charlie runs at him and knocks him down. The first Klingon tries to get away, but is shot by Tala. Jason picks up his phaser and shoots the other one in the back.

The science officer helps Jason up. "Thanks," he says. He looks sternly at the remaining members of the away team. "This time, we stay together, understood?"

"Yes, sir," they all reply.

They enter the main control room of the base. Several more Klingons stand in their way. One is standing on an elevated platform. "Kill them! They will ruin our plans!" he shouts. The Klingons draw their disruptor pistols and open fire. Jason and Tala duck out of the way, and the science officer does a tuck-and-roll to avoid their fire. Charlie Morgan tries to dodge it as well, but takes a shot to the leg.

"Ahh!" he yells in pain, collapsing.

"Hold on, Morgan," Tala says, shooting back at the Klingons.

Jason sneaks up the ramp toward the lead Klingon on the platform above. "Thought you could sneak up on me?" the Klingon says, grabbing Jason and throwing him backward. Jason grimaces as his head hits the floor. Tala and the science officer manage to subdue the other Klingons. They run over to Charlie and help him sit up.

"Stay here and help him," Tala tells the science officer. She runs up the ramp and attacks the Klingon. He takes a shot to the stomach and collapses on the floor.

The Klingon mutters his last words. "You will not stop us, captain. It's only a matter of time..."

Jason stands up slowly, checking himself for injury. "Sir, I've found a console to access the main computer!" the science officer calls from below.

"Good work," he says as he and Tala walk back down. He taps his combadge. "Fredricks to Leviathan, we are ready to begin uploading the Klingon's computer data."

"Understood, captain. Starting download now," Lucas replies over the comm. "Sir, it will take a few moments to download all of the data."

"Acknowledged."

Several Klingons transport into the room from the disabled ship still outside the asteroid. Jason and Tala spin around to face them. The science officer draws her phaser, but is shot by one of the Klingons.

"No!" Jason yells. He runs at the Klingon and tackles him. Tala shoots two of them and narrowly avoids being shot by another. Charlie manages to shoot one, even after being injured.

"Destroy the computer core before they can acquire our data!" a Klingon shouts. He is shot, leaving only two more. Jason knocks the one he is fighting unconscious. The last one manages to destroy the core.

"Ha! You're too late Starfleet!" he says, smiling. He raises his weapon to shoot Jason. Jason raises his hands in the air as he lost his phaser in the skirmish with the other Klingon. "Goodbye, captain. It's been a pleasure foiling your plans," the Klingon says, moving his finger to pull the trigger. Jason closes his eyes and hears a phaser shot fired. He opens his eyes, realizing he is not dead. He looks over at Tala, who just saved his life.

He breathes a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Tala." She smiles at him. He taps his combadge once again. "Lucas, did we get the data?"

"Yes, sir."

Jason grins. "Good job, buddy." He walks over to Charlie. "You gonna make it?"

"Aye, aye, captain."

"Transporter room, three to beam up."

* * *

Jason enters his ready room and contacts Admiral Quinn. His computer screen lights up. "Ah, Jason. How did things go in the Lackey System?"

"Good, sir. We recovered data from the listening post the Klingons had there."

"Excellent. I'll get our people to start analyzing the data right away." Quinn takes a sip of coffee. "You look tired, Jason. Get some rest, you've earned it."

"Yeah, it's been a long day," Jason says, smiling. "I think I'll take up your recommendation. Goodbye, admiral."

"Until next time," Quinn nods. The channel closes.

**...**

Ernie enters the mess hall. He notices Hannah sitting by herself. "Can I join you?" he asks.

"Sure," she says, smiling.

He sits down. "Are you mad about what I said earlier? Because you have every right to be. I can't keep you from doing what you love. Trying to would only make me selfish."

She looks at him a moment before speaking. "No, Ernie, I'm not mad. I know how you feel. I—I like you too."

"Oh, this again. You say you like me, but we're only friends. I get it. I'm just not your type, right?"

"No, that's not what I said. I _do_ have feelings for you, but I don't feel like this is the right time to begin a relationship. Let's just be friends for now."

"Funny, that's just what you said two years ago. I guess things haven't changed much," he says, standing up. "I hope you find the guy you're looking for, Hannah."

"Ernie, why are you being like this?"

"Don't you get it? I'm in love with you," he replies, pressing his lips up against hers and kissing her passionately. She returns the gesture and places her hands on his neck. They draw back, and embrace in a hug.

"Well, maybe we could try it for a while. See how things works out..." she says, smiling as they continue their embrace.

The Leviathan leaves the system and goes to warp.

* * *

**A/N: The Leviathan and crew have taken down a Klingon listening post, and put a stop to an illegal Gorn mining operation, but can they hold their ground against new threats in "Episode 6: Stop the Signal"? Please review!**


End file.
